Alfie Hewett enjoying tennis rivalry with Tokito Oda

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Alfie Hewett with Tokito Oda after 2023 Australian Open titleImage source, LUKAS COCH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Image caption,

Alfie Hewett beat Tokito Oda to win the 2023 Australian Open title

Wheelchair tennis world number one Alfie Hewett says he and Japan's Tokito Oda are developing a "really good rivalry".

The pair have played each other in four of the last five Grand Slam finals, with Oda, 17, winning three of them.

Those wins included this year's Australian Open final and last year's Wimbledon final.

They met twice in March, with Hewett triumphing, first in the Georgia Open and later in the Cajun Classic.

"I'm just glad that I stopped the rot because I'd lost to him four times on the bounce," Hewett told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"Obviously that was playing on my mind a little bit, as a professional that's something that gets to me - so I was glad to be able to get over the line."

Image source, Reuters
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Hewett will be hoping to complete the Grand Slam set with just the Wimbledon singles title missing from his trophy cabinet - Oda beat him in last year's final

Between them, they have won the last seven Grand Slam singles titles and 11 in total - seven for Hewett and four for Oda.

The world's top two could be set for plenty more battles this year, and Hewett says these recent wins stand him in good stead.

"You try and gain confidence from them because we've got a busy summer coming up. I'm sure he'll be desperate for revenge after losing twice now, but it creates a good spectacle for people to watch and a story to follow," said Hewett, who is from Norfolk.

Hewett and Oda will be heavy favourites for this year's French Open and Wimbledon, as well as the Paralympics in Paris in the summer.